


as a team

by hearmyvoice



Series: Team Uncle Week 2020 [3]
Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Background Huey and Dewey and Louie Duck, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt Donald Duck, POV Alternating, Parent Scrooge McDuck, Post-Episode: s02e01 The Most Dangerous Game...Night!, Pre-Canon, Pre-Spear of Selene, Team Uncle Week, Team Uncle Week 2020 (Disney)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:40:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27237442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hearmyvoice/pseuds/hearmyvoice
Summary: Game nights are a competence in the Duck family.
Relationships: Della Duck & Donald Duck, Della Duck & Donald Duck & Scrooge McDuck, Dewey Duck & Donald Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck, Donald Duck & Scrooge McDuck
Series: Team Uncle Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1943812
Kudos: 37
Collections: Team Uncle Week 2020





	as a team

**Author's Note:**

> day 3. game night.

Game nights weren't Donald's favorite nights. Someone who has had the misfortune to meet him and witness his horrible temperament must have enough neurons to connect the dots and realize what a bad idea it was to connect him with the rush that was during each game, especially when you were related to the Clan. McDuck, a line of character and pride.

Those who had had the – bad – luck to have been involved which night said that he was similar to his Uncle Scrooge in that respect, to the surprise of the duck himself. He and Della happened to be on the same team against his uncle, the sailor's mind too focused on victory to pick up on those minute details.

It wasn't until he found himself on the same team as Scrooge McDuck 24 when he was 24-year-old that he realized, and didn't know whether to laugh at how dense he was, insulted because what person likes to be equated with his father figure, or feeling nostalgic because deep down he was still a McDuck.

"My, my, look at the Team Uncle mastering this game night," Della scoffed, one hand on that bulging belly that he was observing from time to time, not very discreetly, "you will soon find each other against children, I hope they don't inherit your competitiveness."

Before laughing, conjuring a smile on Donald's face. Soon they would be _and_ his niblings, and the mere thought have his stomach churned, strangely, in a very nice way. The thought that one day he would become an uncle had never crossed his mind, but in a few weeks, his twin will find herself laying her eggs.

The last thing he had wanted to think about at the moment was the father because Donald was more than willing to take that role if the guy preferred not to get involved in spite of his interest in knocking him out.

Uncle Donald. Team Uncle. He really loved the sound of it.

And judging by the look on the face of the oldest duck, he knew he thought the same.

"Oi! Those wee ones will be McDucks, one way or another t'ey will have that competitive spirit of thei' dear Uncle Scrooge!" He assured looking out of the corner of his eye to his nephew, playfully ruffling his hair feathers with a tender smile. "It will be interesting to have new competition, dinnae ye think so, lad?"

It was a stark contrast to the grumpy old man from literally seconds ago, and he snorted with a wary smile, knowing that everything would be fine.

But then the Spear of Selene happened, and those future game nights were gone when the uncle became the legal guardian of _triplets_ , and the game nights consisted of the way they were so similar to his sister and uncle that it burned, even if he had remarked multiple times that the most important thing was to have fun.

Dewey was the least subtle about it, doing his best to distract his playmates. Huey, despite being the one who best followed his mantra that everything was a game, had unfortunately inherited his temper, and on more than one occasion he found himself reassuring a furious duckling. Louie, of course, was the most discreet, and Donald couldn't help but wonder who he got it from: he might seem the least interested according to the game they played, but ultimately he was victorious.

And he? He couldn't awake in him that same competitive spirit that Della scoffed at so much, unable to be the same grumpy and sometimes tricky duck with those children who had crept into his heart.

At the least, it was until the kids' 10-years until he found himself back on the roof that had tried to avoid that that spark was rekindled, meaning the return of Team Uncle.

Actually, it was little to keep his place in the will – a place that even he did not know after leaving the mansion – and more for his uncle's idea to team up with someone with the same hard head as him.

"Team Uncle fur the win!" Scrooge exclaimed before hugging him, making his heart beat in a way that took him unawares, hiding his face in the nook of his uncle's neck while reciprocating the contact, a smile marking his bill.

He hadn't realized how much he missed that contact until the two of them parted, shaking their hands as if doing business.

And it wasn't until they faced off against the Gyroputians that they teamed up once more that, in addition to discovering what his uncle thought of him, he discovered something else after tucking in the triplets:

"What a long night, eh lad?" Scrooge came to him that night, an exhausted smile on his face as Donald prepared himself a cup of coffee.

Donald shrugged nonchalantly, the weariness even more evident on his face. "I'm used to them, though I'd forgotten what it was like to have them after an affair."

There was no hesitation in his words, his concentration on the concoction too much for not to notice the way Scrooge flinched.

Yes, it had been a long time since then.

"Do you want coffee?"

He blinked owlishly, immediately noticing the questioning look his nephew was giving him, and for a moment he noticed how much he had aged that decade.

"No thanks, son, I'm fine." Donald's eyes widened, and he thought he saw them sparkle before he shook his head and looked back at his work.

"I thought I was a food-stealing parasite." But despite the sarcasm in his speech, having more than 20 years of experience understanding the boy allowed Scrooge to recognize the pain behind his words, particularly by the way his shoulders were sagged.

It seemed that he had taken his words very seriously, and he couldn't help but wince. What else could he have personally taken without him knowing?

"You know I didnae mean it, Donald, it was... because of the adrenaline of the battle against those Gyroputians" unfortunately, that attempt at an explanation didn't work when Donald rolled his eyes the instant he hesitated. "You will never be a parasite, m'boy."

His answer? A shrugging, though he could see how his body trembled with suppressed sobs.

"Ah couldnae be part of the Team Uncle withoot ye. Besides, ye're a good companion on game nights, when we are nae a couple of knuckleheads who make everyone their enemies."

Finally, the sailor showed a sad smile as he poured coffee, and Scrooge smiled triumphantly to the achievement. Both of them remembering the heated nights when it wasn't just them.

 _"You cheated, Unca Scrooge!,"_ a duckling complained, pouting and arms folded as he sat on Duckworth's lap, his twin mimicking his expression as he took the stacked crackers.

 _"It's nae cheating, boy, it's finding a new angle and using it tae yer advantage."_ He laughed out loud.

Scrooge laughed at the reminiscence.

 _"It's not fair! Della covered my eyes!"_ A teenager chided, pushing Della who guffaws as she took her prize, a pair of bills that actually were trifling.

 _"I just followed Uncle Scrooge's old advice: see the angles"_ the girl smiled, proudly shaking the bills against the face of her brother, _"you got distracted, I simply took advantage of the opportunity."_

Donald smiled, wiping the tears from his eyes before they gave him away.

 _"Oh? So now we make teams, huh?"_ The young adult smiled knowingly, taking her place next to the butler and crossing her legs. Donald simply shrugged with presumed innocence, sitting across from his sister accompanied by the Scotsduck.

 _"No one said it was against the rules"_ he justified, resting his arm on his uncle's shoulder _"now, let the games begin..."_

"It wasnae wha' Ah had in mind fur our first game night as a family," the sailor looked up, noticing the melancholy look that his fath– uncle gave him, "but wha' better bonding than to follow the family tradition in an adventure?"

" Of course, Uncle Scrooge." Donald rolled his eyes once more, though this time the smile on his face didn't go unnoticed.

The bazillionaire watched from the corner of the eye his nephew's coffee, saying nothing when he sipped wordlessly. Though given the schedule, it seemed unusual.

"I'll go to work in a few hours," he argued before he could be questioned, though Scrooge noted the mystery in his words, "though I can't wait for the next game night."

Before leaving the kitchen with an “I'll clean up later", the apex of a smile as he drank his coffee again.

At least, that was something else they both agreed on.


End file.
